Obama administration must practice openness

February 04, 2009

We're prepared to forgive the new Barack Obama administration for an early faux pas when it comes to handling the national and world media.

But it bears watching that Obama live up to his campaign insistence on transparency in his government. After the last eight years of cloak and dagger administration, the last thing America needs is more secrecy.

Obama and his team ticked off members of some powerful media outlets almost immediately when it barred film reporters from covering the "do-over" oath of office with U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

You'll remember that a mix-up in wording during the actual live event Tuesday, Jan. 20, prompted a repeat of the oath to make sure Obama was legally sworn in as the 44nd Commander in Chief.

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But the "do-over" took place outside the public eye - or at least away from independent cameras. Four reporters witnessed the oath of office and shared their observations with others, and a White House photo was released, but no TV or still cameras other than the White House's own were allowed.

The White House's solution - it cited crowding as the reason for keeping out cameras - was not very palatable: Use its official versions of the event.

The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse refused to distribute photos taken by the White House of the new president on his first day in the Oval Office because of the dispute. Television network bureau chiefs also protested the exclusion of video cameras from the second oath of office.

"We're in an awkward phase and there will be bumps in the road," said Christopher Isham, CBS News Washington bureau chief. "Hopefully they will be speed bumps rather than obstacles."

The Associated Press also questioned why reporters were not allowed to use the names of administration officials giving a background briefing on issues regarding the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba.

Background briefings are common in Washington, and were frequently conducted during the Bush and Clinton administrations. But the AP wanted to establish early with the administration that it's important to get information on the record as often as possible, said Michael Oreskes, managing editor for U.S. News.

These may seem like trivial matters in the scheme of things, but setting the tone early and often is critical to the free flow of information Obama has promised the American people.

Chiseling away at openness, even this early on, sets a dark precedent for an administration which promises the light of change.